May’s cheapest supermarket revealed and other ways to cut your food bill
An analysis by Which? reveals last month’s cheapest and most expensive supermarkets in the UK.
The group’s monthly review of eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets involves comparing the price of the 69 most popular grocery items.
In May, the analysis found Aldi to be the cheapest. Waitrose was the priciest supermarket out of the bunch, 30% more expensive than Aldi.
The average price for 69 grocery items across the main supermarkets was:
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Aldi – £121.56
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Lidl – £124.88
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Asda – £137.91
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Tesco – £138.84
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Sainsbury’s – £142.33
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Morrisons – £144.36
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Ocado – £147.64
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Waitrose – £158.13
How does it work?
Each day of the month, the analysts compared the prices of the most popular groceries items, including Heinz baked beans, milk, cheese and apples. The daily cost of each item was added up and divided by the number of days in the month to get an average for every supermarket.
Special offers were taken into account, but multibuys and loyalty-scheme discounts were excluded.
Falling grocery prices
While supermarket prices are still high, the analysis found that price inflation of groceries fell to 2.9%. This marks the 15th month in a row with a price drop.
How to cut your grocery bill
As well as shopping at one of the cheaper supermarkets, there are other ways you can keep your grocery costs down:
Buy own brands
One way to spend less money on your food shop is buying more own-brand products. Sales of own-label ranges have increased by up to 9.9% compared to a year ago, as more people opt for cheaper options.
Free or discounted food apps
You can buy unsold fresh food from the Too Good to Go app for about a third of its original price. And plenty of shops and cafes give unsold fresh food to apps like Olio, which lets you collect food for free.
Frozen food for the win
Did you know frozen food can be just as nutritious as fresh food, especially frozen fruit and veg? It also tends to be much cheaper and keeps for longer.
Eat less meat
Cutting down on meat could reduce your costs and help the planet too. Not only is meat expensive, its production contributes to high levels of greenhouse emissions and uses up a lot of natural resources. Even cutting out meat once or twice a week could make a significant difference to your grocery bill.
Find your local food bank
If you’re struggling to afford groceries, you may be able to get help from a food bank. You’ll need to be referred by someone like a GP or a school staff member. Contact the Trussell Trust to find contact details for your local food bank. They’ll be able to tell you who can refer you in your area.
Benefits
Check whether you’re entitled to any benefits. You can check you’re getting all the benefits you’re entitled to on our website or you can give us a ring.
Get money advice
We offer help with budgeting and grant applications, and we can make sure you’re getting all the benefits you’re entitled to. We can also advise you on debt solutions if you’re struggling to keep up with repayments. These can reduce your monthly payments and even write off some of what you owe. Some solutions are free, others have a fee. Our free and impartial advice is here to help you tackle your money troubles.
Connie Enzler
With a master's in multimedia journalism and over five years' experience as a digital writer and podcast creator, Connie is committed to making personal finance news and information clear and accessible to everyone.
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